You Find Someone To Carry You
by sdara1
Summary: Beckett is shot, but this time it's different. They're together. She's not alone in her pain. He's here. He's not going any where.


**"When you can't run, you crawl. And when you can't crawl..."**

Pop.

Pop.

Pop.

The gun shots rang out.

She felt a body heaving her to the ground

She felt something hard falling on her. Protecting her.

She heard him breathing.

She heard his cries.

But they didn't register.

She didn't comprehend.

She was already on her way out.

* * *

He heard the gun shots ring out.

Immediately his head snapped in her direction.

Not again.

This could not be happening to them again.

He ran to her, tackling her to the ground, covering her small frame his much larger one.

"Stay with me."

"Stay with me."

"Stay with me."

But she was drifting from him.

Then she was gone.

* * *

Her hand lifted and felt something like hair underneath her hand; she knew that hair. She couldn't quite open her eyes. They were too heavy. It was too much. Her head was pounding. Now that she was becoming more conscience she realized it wasn't just her head aching, but it was whole body. She couldn't move. Then there was a voice coming to her. It was distant, but she recognized it.

"Kate? Kate? Kate?"

She slowly came to it. Slowly started to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was his face. That eye-crinkling smile that she loves. She tried to make herself smile, but it hurt too much. Hurt to move any muscle in her body. Then she tried to talk. Her throat hurt too much, was so scratchy from the hours she had been unconscious.

"Shhh…don't say anything."

She was there. She was alive. That was all he needed to know. That he still had her, and that he would have her. Always.

* * *

After the doctor came and updated the partners on her condition visitors came. First was her father. She could see the disappointment in Jim's face. He didn't want her to continue with her job, didn't want her to lose her life to it, but he also knew how much she loved it, and trusted her three partners, especially her main one, to watch her back, and never let the job actually take her.

Next is his family, Alexis and Martha. They make small talk. Alexis puts Kate's hair in a braid so she didn't have to worry about how it looks. She loves being in the presence of his family. Martha is a decent replacement for her mother in times like these, and Alexis is like a little sister. They are there for her, just like their son and father is there for her.

Finally, came the most important three- Espo, Ryan, and Lanie. They were all in shock. Espo made jokes about her being a bullet magnet. Ryan updated her on what Gates said about her leave. Lanie adjusted pillows to make sure she was comfortable.

Then he comes in. Interrupts whatever Espo was saying. She wasn't completely with it from the amount of pain killers she was on, but she sees him, and her heart starts pounding. The three excuse themselves, knowing that the two of them need to be alone. Espo and Ryan pat him on the back, while Lanie gives him a warning look. A look he knows means "if you hurt my girl, I'll kill you and hide all the evidence," and he smile knowingly.

Then she notices he's holding something. A balloon that says "I Love You" on it and in his other hand- was that a teddy bear?!

He sees that she's noticed what is in his hand and feels the need to explain. "I thought you might need something to cuddle with, and I didn't know if you would let me in the bed with you." It was a half-hearted joke, but she loved the sentiment.

"Come here."

It was the first time he had heard her voice all day. It was a huge relief. He walked across the room to set down the balloon then handed her the teddy bear and sat on the edge of her bed. Hip-to-hip they just sat there, staring at each other, so glad both are ok, both are here.

He can't take it anymore. He reaches out to touch her face, runs his hand over her cheek. He needs the connection, needs the intimacy, needs the physicality to prove that she is there. She is not going anywhere.

"I'm so glad you're ok."

She leans into his touch. "I'm so sorry, Castle."

"For what?"

"For not being smarter. I should've put on my vest before I went in. I shouldn't have been so reckless. I shouldn't have put everyone through this again. Shouldn't have put you-"

He cuts her off with his lips. Not too hard so that he won't hurt her, but gentle enough to let her know that he is here, and he's not going anywhere. He also lets himself know that she is here, just one more time. Making sure this isn't some terrible dream that he's going to wake up from.

It isn't.

She's here.

She's staying.

Her eyes drift shut, and he realizes that the pain medications are taking over. Although she wants to spend these intimate moments with him she can't fight her drooping eye lids. He moves off the bed to give her room to sleep.

"No, don't go. Stay. I don't want to be alone." The words were slurred. He wasn't even sure she knew what she was saying, but there was no way he was leaving her tonight. No way was he leaving her ever.

"Never, Kate. Sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Love you, Cas."

"I love you too, Kate."

With that she drifted to sleep. The sound of his voice the last thing she heard.

* * *

When she woke in the morning her was right there, leaning forward in the chair he pulled up next to her bed. His head was resting on her bed next to her hip. His mouth was slightly open, and there was a little bit of drool coming out. He had never looked cuter to her.

She reached out and ran her hand through his hair as he began to stir.

"Morning," he grumbled, voice still laced with sleep.

"Morning. You're still here."

"I'm still here."

And they sat there like that for awhile. His head resting on the side of her bed, her hand running through his beautiful head of hair.

Eventually he weaseled his way into her bed. They sat there all day cuddling and watching a Temptation Lane marathon.

Both were perfectly content to stay like that forever, and they would until she was better.

This time while she was healing there would be no three months apart. There would be no heart ache. There would be no anger.

It would be them, together. He would take care of her, however long it took. She was never alone, ever again. He was there, whenever she needs him.

**"You find someone to carry you."**

* * *

_I couldn't study for finals until I got this out of my head. Now off to the text books! Yay, procrastination!_


End file.
